Beneficial?

We had a discussion in Sunday school last week about saying "Merry Christmas" vs "Happy Holidays." Funny, the scripture which came to mind for me during that discussion (which coincidentally is a lectionary reading this week) was this one:

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

The discussion of the matter turned almost to a defense of an individual's right to stand up for one's faith. Is it really that? Is saying "Merry Christmas" really standing up for one's religion?

When it becomes more important to say "Merry Christmas" than to remember the feelings of the person standing in front of us, then I think we might be doing something which is within our rights, certainly, but is not beneficial.

In my previous job, I worked with people of many faiths. I doubt any of them would have been insulted by my Merry Christmas wish (although they might have found it strange), but if they had been, wouldn't it have been a poor witness to my faith to insist on the phrase? Even though it is within my rights to do so?

And do we really think that we will evangelize people by saying "Merry Christmas?'' Is it really a tool of conversion?

It may be lawful, but sometimes we need to think about more than the law.